Platform Priority Piggybacking

A strategy for growing on social platforms by aligning content with what the platforms are currently prioritizing and promoting heavily.

Why Platforms Push Certain Features

• Platforms face competitive threats (e.g., YouTube threatened by TikTok)
• They respond by creating competing features (e.g., YouTube Shorts)
• Can't let new features fail, so they:
  • Put best teams on these projects
  • Heavily promote the features
  • Adjust algorithms to favor the content

How Platforms Boost Priority Features

• Place features prominently in UI (e.g., top of app)
• Add frequent prompts/banners to engage
• Modify recommendation engines to suggest this content
• Change algorithms to favor creators using new features
• Invest heavily in engagement metrics

Strategy for Creators

• Identify what features platforms are currently pushing
• Create content specifically for those features
• Benefit from platforms' promotional efforts
• Example success: Creator went from 0 to 8M subscribers in ~12 months just using YouTube Shorts

Key Insight

• Platforms will artificially boost engagement for priority features
• By aligning with platform priorities, creators can "piggyback" off this push
• This creates faster growth than fighting algorithm
• Strategy works because you're "exploiting the ego of the social media platform"

Implementation

• Watch for new feature launches
• Notice what content types get prominent placement
• Align content strategy with platform's current focus
• Take advantage of algorithmic favoritism while it lasts